LUTHERAN MINISTRIES

PS&S’ archaeologists obtained approval under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act for a proposed development site that had been deemed historically sensitive by the NJDEP.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Lutheran Social Ministries planned to build a 62-unit senior citizens’ residence on a small parcel in Bordentown, New Jersey. An application for HUD funding required review by the NJDEP’s Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), necessitating cultural resource investigations.

THE CHALLENGE

The property was known to have been the site of an early-19th-century brickyard, which had operated until the 1940s, when it was demolished. It was unknown whether intact, potentially historically significant remains of the early manufacturing operation were still present on the property. Large amounts of brick rubble associated with the demolition of the factory buildings, mixed in with post-demolition fill and spread across the landscape, hindered the identification of the buildings’ original footprints.

THE PS&S SOLUTION

Through a combination of manual and mechanical archaeological testing, PS&S identified a large (60-by-40-foot) buried brick platform that had supported the operation’s kilns. By carefully investigating the brickyard’s history, comparing its layout with other, better-known examples, and interpreting its geographic context, PS&S determined that little more could be learned about the operation through additional work. SHPO concurred with this conclusion, clearing the way for HUD funding approval.